Post by 50yardfan on Jun 26, 2011 11:55:30 GMT -5
www.reporternews.com/news/2011/jun/25/owners-optimistic-after-ruff-riders-4-8-record/
The Abilene Ruff Riders are on solid footing financially following their first season in the Southern Indoor Football League, according to one of their co-owners, with only a few more victories needed to ignite fan interest.
The 4-8 record (two of those wins came via forfeit) did not meet expectations. But Scott Anderson, one of the team's seven local co-owners and spokesman for the group, believes the team and the league are on the right track — off and on the field. The team stressed good behavior, with players staying out of trouble off the field and being good sports on it.
"We've got several players who are saying, 'We like Abilene; we want to stay here and play here next year,'" Anderson said, and several other players already are doing that.
"Naturally, on the field, it didn't go the way we wanted," Anderson said. "But off the field, it went far better than we had ever planned. We had no off-the-field issues, which was one of our main goals this year. The players acted great. We wanted to hire good-character guys and have those guys come in here and we did that. We've just got to work on getting our on-the-field play better. Once we do that, we're going to be just fine."
MORE WINS NEEDED
On-field performance was definitely a problem in 2011 as the Ruff Riders used three head coaches, two defensive coordinators and four quarterbacks. All the maneuvering meant little, however, as Abilene won its last SIFL game on the field April 2 and was eliminated from the playoffs after a Week 11 loss at Rio Grande Valley.
And the losing was reflected at the gate. The team averaged 2,641 fans for five home dates (no attendance was listed for the May 21 game against Louisiana), down from 2010's average of 3,100.
"That can be expected when you're not performing on the field," Anderson said. "Abilene is going to follow a winner. We're well aware of that. That's something we've got to address and something we feel really good about going into next year."
Anderson estimated the team lost $50,000 this year, far less than in 2010 when it played in the Indoor Football League.
CLOSER TO HOME
One of the areas Anderson emphasized for next year was recruiting more players from Abilene colleges. The Ruff Riders' roster at the start of the season showed six of the 24 players were from Big Country schools — five from Abilene Christian University and one from Tarleton State University.
"We have got to get a better connection with the colleges," he said. There's enough players at ACU, Hardin-Simmons and McMurry to fill the team. "We have to let those colleges know that we want their players, and we have to let the players know that we want you to be here. We want the majority of our players to come from those three schools, bottom line."
LEAGUE ISSUES
One area the team has little control over is the overall health of the Southern Indoor Football League. Stretching from Erie, Pa., in the Northeast to Abilene, there were bound to be some weak links among the franchises. And this became evident before the season started when the Lafayette Wildcatters were unable to field a team due to Workman's Compensation cost issues.
Mobile Bay went out of business around the midway point of the season, with the owner disappearing and the players not being paid and paying their own way to one game. That left the SIFL's Western Conference in the awkward position of having to schedule exhibition games to fill voids left by forfeits, and having only five teams competing for four playoff spots at the end of the year.
Anderson said the remaining Western Conference franchises (Abilene, Houston, Rio Grande Valley, Corpus Christi and Lake Charles, La.) are stable. The league is close to finalizing a deal to put a team in Laredo for the 2012 season.
Anderson said he would like to see SIFL teams in other West Texas cities such as Odessa and Amarillo, creating natural rivalries and cutting down on travel. Those cities currently are in the IFL. Last season, the Ruff Riders made two trips to Rio Grande Valley and trips to Mobile, Ala., Lake Charles and Corpus Christi.
Wichita Falls and San Angelo also are possibilities, Anderson said. He said the league also would like to establish markets in the Dallas area (possibly Belton and/or Tyler) as well as western Louisiana.
"None of this is final, but they essentially want all of their markets in place by Oct. 1," Anderson said,
COLISEUM DEAL
The Ruff Riders operate on a year-to-year lease, said Taylor County Coliseum General Manager Rochelle Roberts-Johnson. Once the schedule is set, the team will negotiate a new lease.
Despite the team's lack of success on the field the last two seasons, Anderson and General Manager Brett Quigley feel the team's future in Abilene is bright.
"I feel our future is strong," Quigley said. "It's always improving. Every year we make strides. Really, what's the disappointing thing is on the field. Off the field, the community's been great and the fans have been awesome. This year alone we've been able to do more things than we ever have."
The Abilene Ruff Riders are on solid footing financially following their first season in the Southern Indoor Football League, according to one of their co-owners, with only a few more victories needed to ignite fan interest.
The 4-8 record (two of those wins came via forfeit) did not meet expectations. But Scott Anderson, one of the team's seven local co-owners and spokesman for the group, believes the team and the league are on the right track — off and on the field. The team stressed good behavior, with players staying out of trouble off the field and being good sports on it.
"We've got several players who are saying, 'We like Abilene; we want to stay here and play here next year,'" Anderson said, and several other players already are doing that.
"Naturally, on the field, it didn't go the way we wanted," Anderson said. "But off the field, it went far better than we had ever planned. We had no off-the-field issues, which was one of our main goals this year. The players acted great. We wanted to hire good-character guys and have those guys come in here and we did that. We've just got to work on getting our on-the-field play better. Once we do that, we're going to be just fine."
MORE WINS NEEDED
On-field performance was definitely a problem in 2011 as the Ruff Riders used three head coaches, two defensive coordinators and four quarterbacks. All the maneuvering meant little, however, as Abilene won its last SIFL game on the field April 2 and was eliminated from the playoffs after a Week 11 loss at Rio Grande Valley.
And the losing was reflected at the gate. The team averaged 2,641 fans for five home dates (no attendance was listed for the May 21 game against Louisiana), down from 2010's average of 3,100.
"That can be expected when you're not performing on the field," Anderson said. "Abilene is going to follow a winner. We're well aware of that. That's something we've got to address and something we feel really good about going into next year."
Anderson estimated the team lost $50,000 this year, far less than in 2010 when it played in the Indoor Football League.
CLOSER TO HOME
One of the areas Anderson emphasized for next year was recruiting more players from Abilene colleges. The Ruff Riders' roster at the start of the season showed six of the 24 players were from Big Country schools — five from Abilene Christian University and one from Tarleton State University.
"We have got to get a better connection with the colleges," he said. There's enough players at ACU, Hardin-Simmons and McMurry to fill the team. "We have to let those colleges know that we want their players, and we have to let the players know that we want you to be here. We want the majority of our players to come from those three schools, bottom line."
LEAGUE ISSUES
One area the team has little control over is the overall health of the Southern Indoor Football League. Stretching from Erie, Pa., in the Northeast to Abilene, there were bound to be some weak links among the franchises. And this became evident before the season started when the Lafayette Wildcatters were unable to field a team due to Workman's Compensation cost issues.
Mobile Bay went out of business around the midway point of the season, with the owner disappearing and the players not being paid and paying their own way to one game. That left the SIFL's Western Conference in the awkward position of having to schedule exhibition games to fill voids left by forfeits, and having only five teams competing for four playoff spots at the end of the year.
Anderson said the remaining Western Conference franchises (Abilene, Houston, Rio Grande Valley, Corpus Christi and Lake Charles, La.) are stable. The league is close to finalizing a deal to put a team in Laredo for the 2012 season.
Anderson said he would like to see SIFL teams in other West Texas cities such as Odessa and Amarillo, creating natural rivalries and cutting down on travel. Those cities currently are in the IFL. Last season, the Ruff Riders made two trips to Rio Grande Valley and trips to Mobile, Ala., Lake Charles and Corpus Christi.
Wichita Falls and San Angelo also are possibilities, Anderson said. He said the league also would like to establish markets in the Dallas area (possibly Belton and/or Tyler) as well as western Louisiana.
"None of this is final, but they essentially want all of their markets in place by Oct. 1," Anderson said,
COLISEUM DEAL
The Ruff Riders operate on a year-to-year lease, said Taylor County Coliseum General Manager Rochelle Roberts-Johnson. Once the schedule is set, the team will negotiate a new lease.
Despite the team's lack of success on the field the last two seasons, Anderson and General Manager Brett Quigley feel the team's future in Abilene is bright.
"I feel our future is strong," Quigley said. "It's always improving. Every year we make strides. Really, what's the disappointing thing is on the field. Off the field, the community's been great and the fans have been awesome. This year alone we've been able to do more things than we ever have."